I was never really sure if I should be negative when blogging but I have to let my readers know about a strange event that took place this last Sunday.
I was conducting a tour of the Lower East Side and finishing up at my last stop on the tour – Kossar’s Bialys on Grand Street. Kossar’s is one of the last retail/wholesale bialy bakeries left not only on the Lower East Side but in New York. It plays a part in demonstrating the Jewish immigrant story as to how it has survived and now prospers since its opening in the 1930’s. Each tour participant gets a bialy at the end of the tour so I went in to purchase them. Keep in mind that Kossar’s has been purchased by new owners who have “fixed” the place up (cleaned it up and updates the equipment). They also make Bagels. In fact now they mostly make and sell bagels. I asked for onion bialys and guess what -THEY HAD RAN OUT OF BIAYLS! What was worse, they said it would be 45 minutes before fresh ones came out.
To me this is strange. It is like a cupcake store running out of cupcakes. What’s more, every one there was ordering bagel sandwiches. Now I am not one to denigrate the bagel (I wouldn’t be Ben Bagel if I did). But to run out of your raison d’etre to me is strange if not good business.
Hey Kossar’s – keep those bialys coming!
